Qatar to take on Uzbekistan in AFC U-23 Asian Cup

Tashkent: Qatar face a tough task to get their campaign back on track when they play Uzbekistan in Group A of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup at the Pakhtakor Stadium in Tashkent on Saturday. Nicolas Cordova’s men were denied a victory by Iran in their opener and are on one point from the 1-1 draw while Uzbekistan lead the group with three points, thanks to their 1-0 win over Turkmenistan. Qatar were on the backfoot for the better part of their opening game but showed that despite enjoying limited possession, they could still prove dangerous. Cordova firmly believes his charges will get better as the tournament progresses. “As I’ve said before, we’re working with a young team and are working towards the development of this team in this tournament,” said Cordova. “We'll analyse Uzbekistan, and then analyse our own team and what we need to do to tackle our opponents in the next game.” Cordova was happy with the commitment shown by his players but Qatar need an overall improvement in their attacking game to move past the hosts. Uzbekistan recorded a thumping 22 total shots in their opener, but it took an Ulugbek Khoshimov penalty to seal a win. Head coach Timur Kapadze has been concentrating on fixing their scoring problem ahead of Saturday’s clash. “In football the opening game is always difficult but we’ll improve in the next match against Qatar,” said Kapadze. “We had a short time to prepare and I'm pleased with my players and I know that apart from our lack of finishing, we created plenty of chances.” The former Uzbekistan international is well aware of Qatar’s strengths but is focused on ensuring his team will be at their best. “Qatar may have drawn with Iran but they’ll be difficult opponents. In our practice sessions, we went through some drills on set-pieces so that we can better deal with situations. “What we must also improve is the players’ communication with each other. We can play decent football but I feel we can improve further with better understanding of each other’s movements during the game,” he said.  

Qatar and Iran settle for a 1-1 draw in AFC U23 Asian Cup

 Tashkent: Qatar and Islamic Republic of Iran settled for a 1-1 draw following late drama in Group A of the AFC U23 Asian Cup™ Uzbekistan 2022 at the Bunyodkor Stadium on Wednesday. Qatar looked to have sealed the points through Ahmed Al Ganehi’s 87th minute effort, only for Erfan Shahriari to salvage a point for Iran with his strike in stoppage time.  Determined to redeem themselves after their group stage exit in 2020, Qatar were the first to have a sight on goal when Osamah Al Tairi beat the offside trap in the third minute, before pulling back for Moustafa Tarek who, however, struck directly at goalkeeper Parsa Jafari.  Iran, who had scored nine goals in the Qualifiers, responded immediately with captain Yasin Salmani collecting Ahmad Shariatzadeh’s through ball into the box before beating two defenders only to see his shot deflect off Ahmed Suhail’s back heel. That was to be the turning point as Team Melli Omid controlled possession and had a handful of opportunities through crosses into the area, but Salmani and Shariatzadeh were unable to lay the finishing touch.  Qatar’s best chances of the opening half came through corner kicks, none more so than in the 43rd minute when Hashim Ali was left unmarked near the post but failed to keep his volley on target as both sides went into the halftime break level.  Shahriari, who replaced Arya Yousefi at the start of the second half, came close to connecting to Mohammad Khodabandelho’s chipped effort into the box six minutes in before heading wide moments later.  While Qatar were pegged back in their own half for the most part, the young Maroons had a chance in the 62nd minute following a swift counter-attacking move with Yusuf Abdurisag threatening the Iranian backline, but his twist-and-turn effort lacked precision.  In an effort to bolster their midfield presence, Qatar head coach Nicolas Cordova sent on Al Ganehi and Andri Syahputra in the 72nd minute, which proved successful in not only pushing the Iranians back but also paving the way for the opening goal with Al Ganehi collecting Tarek’s pass in the box and slotting past Jafari in the 87th minute.  However, Qatar’s celebration only lasted three minutes as an unmanned Shahriari latched onto a stray ball in the box, before slamming home from close range.  Iran will face fellow Turkmenistan next on Saturday, while Qatar take on Uzbekistan in the day’s later kick-off.  

Qatar beat Oman in Asia Cup 2025 Pre-Qualifiers

Doha: Hosts Qatar defeated Oman 73-62 in their opening Group A match of the 2025 Asia Cup Pre-qualifying Tournament at the Al Gharafa Sports Club Multipurpose Hall on Thursday. Moustafa Essam Al Fouda became the star of the day for the hosts when he scored 23 points and made five assists and six rebounds during his 39 minute stay on court. Fouda’s teammate 24-year-old Babacar Dieng also contributed with 22 points and five rebounds.  Qatar will take on UAE in their second match of the pre-qualifiers on Friday.  

Qatar to take on Iran in AFC U23 Asian Cup

Tashkent: Islamic Republic of Iran and Qatar have promised their best when they kick off their AFC U23 Asian Cup™ Uzbekistan 2022 Group A campaign on Wednesday.  The Bunyodkor Stadium will feature a tie between two teams who have made it past the group stage in previous editions, and both head coaches are aiming to secure an early advantage in a tough group that also includes 2018 champions Uzbekistan and debutants Turkmenistan.  Iran head coach Mehdi Mahdavikia has named a squad with an average age of just 21, but the legendary former Team Melli defender is confident the youngsters can step up to the plate. “We are here with a very young team but with big goals,” said Mahdavikia. “This will be a great experience for us. There are a lot of difficult teams in our group, but we will do our best to have the best results.  “We have the tournament hosts Uzbekistan, a powerful team in Qatar and a respected team in Turkmenistan. We respect all our rivals, but we want to have the best results in the group.” Mahdavikia will be missing several players who impressed in the Qualifiers, goalkeeper Alireza Rezaei among them, but the coach doesn’t believe this has weakened his side.  “We don’t have any problems, we have many talented players in all the positions. We believe in them and that they can achieve our goals.” The likes of Almoez Ali and Akram Afif first impressed in the 2018 AFC U23 Asian Cup before going on to steer Qatar to the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 title and head coach Nicolas Cordova, who took over the reins from Felix Sanchez, is confident his new generation of players can make their mark as well.    “We know that it’s going to be a tough tournament,” said Chilean Cordova. “The qualification itself was tough. All the teams have the potential to win the tournament.  “We have a good young generation. Still, we have to take into consideration that we’re participating with a younger team than usual, which is part of our long term project to prepare them. I’m sure the future will be the same, where we have good players moving to the national team.” Cordova said Qatar, who finished third in 2018, had prepared well for the tournament, including having played several friendlies.  “We are generally satisfied with the games (friendlies), because we always look for opportunities to improve and be better. “ The teams in this tournament are very good, but it’s about ourselves and competing in our best way.  “We can’t talk about the minimum (target), but the maximum target is to prepare for each game in the best way and to be ready and competitive. If we are well prepared, we can aim to go far."  

Team Qatar athletes win three medals at GCC Games closing scene

KUWAIT – Qatari team athletes displayed  high level performance to win three  medals,  including two gold and silver on the closing day of the  third GCC Games in Kuwait on Tuesday. Qatar’s handball team won the gold medal with a thrilling win over Bahrain in their final round-robin match at the GCC Games which concluded in Kuwait on Tuesday. The maroons edged past their opponents 29-28 after leading 16-13 at the break. Leading Qatar’s charge was Mohammed Abdulmajeed who scored six goals. Anis Zouaoui and Amir Denguir contributed five goals each. Qatar’s fencers also won a gold on the final day, with the foil team scoring a 45-38 win over hosts Kuwait in the title clash. The men’s tennis team clinched silver with a 2-0 win over Bahrain in their last round-robin match. Moussa Shanan put his team 1-0 ahead with  a 6-1, 6-0 win over Youssef Ashraf in the first singles. Rashed Nawaf won the second singles 6-0, 6-2 against Yusuf Qaed. Qatar placed fifth in the overall medals tally with 52 medals (16 gold, 21 silver, 15 bronze). Kuwait topped the table with 96 medals (36, 28, 32).  Bahrain were second with 64 medals (20, 23, 21) while UAE finished third with 50 medals  (18, 16, 16). Saudi Arabia placed fourth with 67 medals (16, 22, 29) and bringing up the rear was Oman with 33 medals (12, 5, 16).  

Qatar padel team arrive to warm welcome

Doha: Qatar's padel team delegation arrived to a joyous welcome in Doha on Monday after winning the gold medal of GCC Games in Kuwait.  Team Qatar clinched the gold medal of the GCC Games after winning all their four matches in the round-robin league. In their final match at the Yourmouk Sports Club on Saturday, Qatar scored a 3-0 win over Kuwait. Abdulaziz Al Kuwari and Mohammed Abdullah got Qatar off to a 1-0 lead winning the first match against Ahmed Mohammed and Abdulaziz Mayouf 6-2, 6-4. Mohammed Al Kuwari and Abdullah Al Hijji then got past Abdulrahman Alawadhi and Mohammed Abdal 6-3, 6-2. Rayyan Al Jufairi and Ali Al Sayagh secured Qatar’s victory with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Najeed Al Awadhi and Ali Haya.